Is Pedophelia Worse in Protestant Churches? What does the research show?

by Steve Ray on September 11, 2011

From my friend Lenny Alt:

ROGER ASKED A GOOD QUESTION: If the Catholic Church was the real church why do they permit priests and bishops to molest children?

LENNY ASKS AN EVEN BETTER QUESTION: If the Protestant churches were the real form of Christianity, why do they permit Protestant ministers and deacons to molest children and then criticize Catholics when Protestants have a larger problem in their own churches?

For the study and the whole article, click here. To read my article from a year or so ago, click here.

STEVE RAY HERE: What’s the point? Catholics get kicked around and need to be told, as no one seems to want to do, that the problem is NOT a Catholic issue but a human issue and much worse outside the Catholic Church Catholics need to be encouraged, not kicked!

BACK TO OUR COMMENTER: Sexual abuse can happen in any institution in society. What made the problem so heinous in Catholic circles was the delay in addressing the issue. Not all priests abuse children, but the few who did had very long careers before their crimes finally came to light. If a problem arose, the errant priest could always be transferred to another parish, or even out of the country. When the victims sued, the Church could require the victim to sign a nondisclosure agreements in return for a settlement. And when the abuse finally came to light, well . . .

STEVE RAY HERE: A bit too simplistic to be sure.

BACK TO COMMENTER: I observe, from my own personal experience, that many Protestant churches now require staffers who work with youth to take additional training on the prevention of abuse. The message is coming across that such behavior will not be tolerated. Apparently, the negative example shown by the Catholic church inspired other religous institutions to seriously take the issue of protecting children. I think that’s more important than pointing fingers at other organizations and saying “they do it too!”

STEVE RAY HERE: Both are important. Stopping abuse in all sectors of society and reminding faithful Catholics their Church has a better record than most though the secular media does not want them to know that.